The Western Light by Susan Swan

12 year old Mary Bradford is trying to make sense of her world. She is well loved by her grandmother, aunt, housekeeper who are looking out for her since her mother died – her father, small town doctor (1950’s) works all the time and, although he is distant, does love her in an distracted kind of way. Famous Detroit Redwings hockey star, John Pilkie, is confined to the town’s psychiatric hospital for alledgedly murdering his wife and daughter. He becomes embroiled in Mary’s family and so the conflicts begin … nothing is clear and Mary is left to grapple with the complexities of the issues facing her. A wonderfully written, suspensful novel – with my favourite kind of ending – hopeful yet leaving you aching and wondering if things could have turned out differently if only …